Exhibition hat-case.



PATBNTED JULY 10, 1906.

1H. HEI-"TI: EXHIBITION HAT CASE.

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APPLIATION FILED 0GT.7.1905.

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PATBNTBD JULY 1o, 1906.

H. HEITY.

EXHIBITION HAT CASE.

APPLICATION FILED 0012.7. 1905.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed October 7, 1905. Serial No. 281,846.

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, HENRY HEETY, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1411 South Third street, St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Exhibition Hat-Cases, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in exhibition hat-cases, and is particularly adapted for ladies hats.

The object of my invention is to provide a hat-case which will readily display to good advantage the hats which are mounted therein when the case is open for exhibition. At the same time the case may be quickly folded up to form a traveling-case, and this can be done with my case without disturbing the located position of the hats therein.

To this end my improvements have reference to a body portion of the casing consisting of sides suitably hinged together, so that it will display the whole inside of the case with the hatsmounted thereon have reference to the top and bottom portions of the case, each adapted to support a hat and display it readily when the nase is opened; have reference to the disposition of the hats on the inside of the case, so that various sizes and styles of hats can be suitably mounted have reference to special means for mounting the hats in the case whereby they may be adjusted readily and securely fastened in their i proper position, and have reference to other points and details and construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, on which like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure l represents a side view of my packing-case in its folded position; Fig. 2, a cross-section on the line Y Y of Fig. 1 Fig. 3, a view of the interior of the body portion opened out into one plane with the hats indicated in their located positions thereon Fig. 4, an inside view of the top and the bottom portions of the case; Fig` 5, an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the case, showing the preferred form of means for fastening the hats in the case; Fig. 6, a sectional viewon the line X X of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a detail section; Fig. 8, an inside view of a three-sided unit, and Fig. 9 a top view of two such units assembled.

In ordinary packing-cases for light and fragile articles, such as ladies7 hats, with their feathers and trimmings, which require to be protected from crushing, only a few such articles can be packed in a given space by using separate artitions or hat-boxes,which must be opene Y such display they must be carefully packed in their individual cases and boxes or travelingcase, which therefore requires considerable time and care. In my improved case such articles are mounted intheir best ositions for display upon the interior walls of the casing itself, which walls form the sides of the packing-case when folded up in a eculiar manner that I will presently descri e; but when the casing is spread out for exhibition it presents an array of hats, for instance, which are shown all in one plane when the said walls are opened out fiat. Likewise the to and bottom portions of the case are adla ted for the display of the hats respectively mounted therein.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates the body portion of the case exemplifying my improvements, and the letters B and O the top and bottom portions forming the ends of such a case. The referred form of my case is rectangular, and or illustration the sides D D may be sixteen inches wide and the sides E E fourteen inches. The length of these sides may be thirty-six inches or more. Of course I do not limit myself to any particular dimensions. These four sides-D D and E E form the four outer walls of the traveling-case, as shown in Fig. 2 but I secure additional display-surface by roviding diagonal partitions F F', preferab y hinged in any suitable manner tothe side walls D and E', respectively. The function of these diagonal partitions is not only to provide additional mounted hats and increasing the length of the body portion when opened out for display, but they also form braces when folded together back to back and extending diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner of the folded case.

In the size given for illustration-namely, sixteen by fourteen inches-the diagonale will be nearly twenty-one and one-half inches in width and are ada ted for mounting extremely wide brimmed) hats or hats of special length compared with their widths, such as chapeaus.

Any suitable means for fastening the hats to the inside of the case may be employed but I have shown a special form adapted to allow the ready adjustment of the hats and securely fastening them. I do not limit myself to this means, however. I provide parto display the goods. After- IOO IOS

allel strips G G of metal or other suitable material, raised from the surface of the side when the notches L and M are in matching position, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It will be seen from Fig. 5 that when the bolt is slid in the notch L toward the center it will be free from the notch M of the adjacent strip. The plate I may-then be slid along to any desired position, the bolt moved outward to engage with another notch of the strip, and the nut tightened to secure the plate in the desired position.

Fig. 3 indicates the various arrangement of the strips G on the-side walls. For instance, on the walls E E they may be in the center, on the wall D they are diagonally disposed, on the wall D they are at one side of the center, and on the diagonal partition FY they are in the center. The strips are riveted or otherwise 'fastened to said walls. Thus the walls E E are adapted to support comparatively small hats with narrow brims. The walls D D are adapted for hats with wide iiaring brims in front or at one side, while the extra-wide winged partitions F are suited for extra long hats or those with wide brims, rIhe brims may overlap each other, as indicated on E, Fig. 3. inside of the top and bottom end sections adapted to receive a hat in each, and the wings F F are preferablycut -away at each end, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide space for the hats supported from the end sections B and C when the case is folded.

Any suitable means for securing the end sections and the body of the case in folded position may be used, such as straps P, encircling the body portion and passing through loops Q, attached to the end sections. I have stated that any suitable means for hinging the side walls together may be employed, such as strips of leather R, riveted or otherwise fastened to adjacent edges, as shown in Fig. 6. Thus the body of the case may be opened out more or less and the interior present a flat or curved appearance, as may be desired, similar to a sectional Japanese screen standing on end.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing a dust-guard S, of felt or other suitable material, laid in a strip at the meeting edges of the body at the inner angles of the end section C, (and B.) The ends of the body portion A press against this dust-guard, as shown. The two diagonal bracing-partitions have their inthe middle hinge joining Fig. 4 shows the ner ends so well protected that little, if any, dust can enter at that point; but a similar felt strip or other suitable dust-guard may be used here.

While I have shown in Fig. 3 and Fig, 2 a unit body portion consisting of six side pieces Vhinged together at R .and held when folded into a rectangle by straps or other fastening means, it is evident that I may dispense with the sidesD and E, and thus form two units of three sides each, which when fastened together with the widest sides adjacent will give the same assembled case as the body with six sides. To make this clear, I have shown such a threesided unit in Fig. 8, which is preferably provided with a dust-guard S/ and straps and matching buckles or other suitable fastening devices adaptedto hold theA said unit in folded position. Fig. 9 shows two such units folded and placed in proper relation to eachv other, so that the encircling strap (indicated by a dotted line) will secure the two units together to form a rectangular case similar to Fig. v2. The same end sections B and C are used to close the top and bottom of this twounit case, Fig. 9, as the unit of six sides, Figs. 2 and 3, and the capacity is the same for similar sizes.

As previously stated, I prefer the rectangular form of folded case; but it is evident that a suitable closing end section may be applied to any shape of unit or assemblage of units that I may select in which to embody my invention, whether four-sided or threesided, or other. The main characteristic is the facility with which each unit is opened out for the display of the articles mounted therein and is folded again for transportation without disturbing the contained hats or other articles, together with the abundant surface for mounting said articles and the compactness of the assembled case. l

'Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. An exhibition hat-case, comprising ya bodyportion provided with diagonal bracingpartitions and hat-supports, adapted to be spread out for display purposes and to be folded to forma case, end sections adapted to close said case, and means to fasten said case in its folded position.

2. An exhibition hat-case comprising a body portion, consisting of sides hinged to- IOO IIO

gether and'wings adapted to-form diagonal partitions 1n the folded position, means to close the ends of the folded case, and fasten-v ISO hat-supports adjustably mounted on the inside of said body, and means to secure-said body and end sections in their folded positions.

4. An exhibition hat-case, comprising a body of hinged side walls and diagonal partitions, whereby it may be folded up or opened for display, closing end sections, adj ustable hat-supports irregularly mounted on the inside of said body and end sections, the said partitions being cut away opposite said end sections substantially as described and for the purpose set forth, and fastening means to secure said casein its folded condition.

5. In an exhibition hat-case, the combination with closing end sections, of a body portion consisting of six rectangular pieces hinged together at adjacent edgesA and adapted to form the sides and diagonal partitions of a case substantially as described, and hatsupports carried on the inside of said body for the mounting and display of hats, substantially as described and f or the purpose set forth.

6. In an exhibitionjhat-case, theV hereindescribed hat-supports, consisting of pairs of parallel strips notched along opposing edges, and corresponding filling-strips fastened below the notched strips to the inside walls of said case thus forming grooves along their inner edges, a rectangular plate and hat-foundation slidingly mounted between the said said plate.

Y 7. In an exhibition hat-case,'the hereindescribed body portion consisting of the hinged sides D D and E E', with the wings F F having their ends cut away substantially as shown, and end sections B C, all provided with hat-supports, and fastening devices for securing said body and ends of the case in its folded condition, substantially as shown and described.l

8. In an exhibition hat-case, the combination with a body consisting of hinged sides adapted to fold up compactly, and end sections for said body portion, of dust-guards located at the meeting edges of said body and end sections, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY HEFTY. Witnesses:

'JULIUs FRANCK,

MATT J. SCHERER. 

